Central Heating Guide
C/H Controls Introduction
C/H Thermal Controls
C/H Valve Controls
C/H Function Controls
C/H System Replacement
C/H Controls Installation
Energy efficient home
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Energy efficient central heating - guide to HOME ENERGY SAVINGS
If a heating and hot water system is to operate
as intended and with optimum energy efficiency
it must be effectively commissioned. This is
especially relevant for controls since they must
operate effectively over a wide range of usage and
climatic conditions. Following the introduction
of revised Building Regulations (part L) in 2002,
it will become a mandatory requirement that all
systems are satisfactorily commissioned.
All controls should be installed and commissioned
in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.
Care must be taken to install the wiring correctly,
and a test should be carried out to make sure that
the boiler interlock operates (ie the boiler switches
off when there is no demand for heat). The heat
emitter and hot water flow rates should be
balanced, and the automatic bypass valve set
correctly. All TRVs and thermostats must be
adjusted to meet householder requirements, and
the householder informed of any settings that
should be changed between summer and winter.
An important aim of this Guide is to provide
information that will lead to improved energy
efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. The use of
controls will have an impact on energy use in two different ways:
reducing heating requirements
increasing heating and hot water system efficiency.
Reducing heating requirements has by far the biggest
impact on energy consumption. This can be achieved
by reducing the heating ‘on’ time and ‘set’ temperature.
It is important to ensure that suitable controls are
specified that give the householder the opportunity
to adjust the controls to minimise energy demand.
Some controls will also increase the efficiency of the
system. For modern boilers fitted with the minimum
set of controls, this effect will not be large.
RUNNING COSTS AND COMFORT CONTROL
One of the most effective ways to save energy
is to turn the heating down or off! Typically,
a room thermostat fitted in the main living room
would be set to around 21ºC. If this is reduced
to 20ºC, heating energy consumption can be
reduced by 6-10%.
NOTE
Householders must be carefully instructed in how
to set and use heating appliance controls properly and effectively.
The operation of programmers in particular can
be difficult to understand and householders will
receive little or no benefit from an incorrectly set
device. They may waste energy.
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